Sect Master Mo lived at the peak of the Yue Yun Mountains. Rather than a grand temple, the sect master resided in a simple small cottage. Outside the cottage grew a grove of bamboos and a small pond with a few colorful fish.

The sect master was doing some late night accounting when someone knocked on her door. There were only a few in her sect who both held the ability and permission to visit her cottage. Most of them she was not particularly close to.

“Guang-ling, you may enter,” the fairy responded as she put the accountant books back into the drawers. She got up from her desk and walked into the living room to brew tea. “I am in the mood for chrysanthemum tea [juhua cha]. I personally dried the flowers myself.”

“I will have black dragon tea [oolong tea] if you have some in stock,” a brusque voice responded. 

The owner of the voice had a very chiseled chin. The sharpness was comparable to a dagger’s. The man also sported a very impressive physique with muscles which bulged visibly underneath his robes. If not for the two thin whiskers on his face which reached the floor, the man would be most intimidating and handsome.

“I am out of black dragon tea. Chrysanthemum tea?”

The man slapped his forehead in response. “This is why even though you are sect master, no one but me visits you! Mo-mo, you are too inconsiderate. At least apologize for not having black dragon tea.”

The fairy narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Why should I apologize when you are a guest barging into my home? Not to mention, you are barging into the home of this Yue Yun Sect’s master. If anything, I should have you flayed fifty lashes.”

The man shook his head with much incredulity, causing his whiskers to sweep the floor like brooms. 

He walked over to the center table and took a seat. “Nevermind that, give me a cup of tea.”

“I only have one cup since I rarely receive visitors.” The fairy responded with a rare smile as she also sat down and sipped her tea.

“Bullshit!” He stamped his feet like a child would. “Even after all these years, you still tease me. Just pour me a cup of tea.”

When the fairy placed her cup back down on the table, her smile was already replaced by her usual cold face. From within her robes, she pulled out another cup and poured tea for her guest.

The two sipped tea in silence for a spell.

“You took in their daughter.” Guang-ling finally spoke.

“So I did. This is some good tea.”

A vein popped on the whiskered-man’s forehead. “Don’t just dismiss the subject just like that!”

“I did not dismiss the subject. I finished talking about the subject. Now I move on to a new topic. Guang-ling, you are already 47 years old come this October. Learn how to hold a conversation.”

“Well, I am not done with the conversation!”

“If you were less stubborn, you would have a wife waiting for you. If someone has moved on and you haven’t, then you are a bother.” The sect master chided.

Guang-ling shook his whiskers and tied them around his neck. “Mo-mo, I would not have a wife even if I was less stubborn. The commandments of our sect prohibits such immoral relations. Tsk, so what if I am a bother? I will continue to bother you until you speak properly on this subject.”

“Your tea is getting cold. If you let the flowers I dried myself go to waste, I will end our friendship immediately.”

“You get worked up over the oddest and most trivial things, you,” he grumbled as he gulped down his entire cup in one swoop. “Don’t you dare complain about my way of drinking tea. Hand me the teapot.” He poured himself another cup, then handed the pot back to his host. “Now, if you don’t want to talk about it, I will. I will talk until it no longers enter one ear and out the other. I will talk until it enters your ear and carves itself into your brain and then comes out bleeding on the other end.”

He gulped down another cup and burped. “Ah, it really is good tea. Now, why did take in their offspring? Didn’t you sever all relations with them the day the two were exiled?” His eyes widened and his mouth gaped. “Don’t tell me you are still in love with that bastard poet? The reason Sect Master Fan exiled them was because the two were caught in the act of yin-and-yang in one of the courtyards!”

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“Shut your mouth, Grand Elder Lu. It was not for him. Remember the four commandments of this Yue Yun Sect since time immemorial. Emotions are not needed if one wish to pursue the enlightenment of our arts. No, I did not do it for him or that fox.”

The man stroked his whiskers and rolled his eyes. “Mo-mo, the more you deny something, the more stupid you will look — not saying you are not idiotic half the time regularly — when you finally admit to yourself the truth.”

“If you dare slander my good name any longer, I will cast you off these mountains personally. Would I still be human if I took in that fox demon’s and bastard’s offspring?”

The grand elder poured himself another cup of tea. “I think that would be the most human thing I’ve seen you do since the two of them were exiled. But, before you unleash the wraths of the venerable ancestors on me, let us say you did not do it for him, why did you do it?”

“Leverage.” The sect master said one word. Yet, that one word seemed to have caused time to stop.

“Oho, leverage you say?” Guang-ling inquired as he leaned forward. “I would believe offending the Emperor’s brother-in-law would be the farthest thing away from leverage.”

“General Bo Ling’s man was desperate to capture the girl. The girl holds an importance to him; whether it is to pressure the fox or some other purpose, the girl is of high value.”

“That still doesn’t translate to leverage. It is now inevitable that the sect is cast from the Empire’s favor. If you are going to make up a reason to save the girl, at least make an excuse which will sate the outrage of the other elders when the Empire’s men inevitably come knocking on our gates.”

“If you do not think the Sect Master’s words would sate those old farts, what do you think will?” The fairy went to pour more tea, but found the pot to already be empty. She never did like using the same tea leaves more than once. Sect Master Mo scooped up the petals and began to chew on them, releasing a sweet fragrance in her mouth.

“I suggest you tell the venerable elders that the girl is in possession of amazing latent talent.”

“What if she isn’t?”

“Even if she is the daughter of Sun Yan’zhi, she is still also the daughter of that fox. There’s a fifty-fifty chance of her being a genius.”

“What if she isn’t?”

“I will pack my bags and leave for my ancestral home. Whether in a casket, only time will tell,” the man laughed heartily.

The fairy swallowed her petals. “Fine, that will be what I will tell the elders. A year to reach the tenth qi condensation stage would be a fair requirement, yes?”

The man nodded and got up. “I will see you tomorrow for the announcement then. These old bones of mine need some rest, else my junior down there may develop extreme fatigue. Hohoho.”

“Get out. Now,” the fairy said coldly. Her eyes narrowed like the impending strike of a sword.

With a tap of his two feet, the man disappeared out the door, leaving only the scent of chrysanthemum.

The fairy refilled the teapot with some black dragon tea leaves and poured hot water into it. She uttered some bizarre chant and the water rippled as the steam cleared. Soon the reflection on the pool of tea changed. It showed Qiu’yue walking deeper into the woods!

Qiu’yue was much more pale than when her father carried her. Her palms were dirtied from falling so often due to fear or simple exhaustion. Remnants of snot showed on her face as well. Yet, the strong light in her eyes showed she had not given up as she continued to walk despite being faced with the unknown.

The fairy watched intently as Qiu’yue finally reached the mountains’ Village of Lost Orphans. 

Author's Note: Double Release, ayy. Told you, I would release two chapters. So tired. What were your thoughts on this chapter? What do you think the Village of Lost Orphans is? Thanks for reading.